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Split rail – a post and rail fence made of rough hewn wood with two or three horizontal rails that fit into notched holes in the posts
Related Job Costs: Outdoor ProjectsRelated Crossword Puzzle: Don't Fence Me In

A basement free of moisture is a bonus in any home because the space is under roof and already heated, so it's ripe for remodeling. A basement has unlimited possibilities as a home office, playroom or family room. The first phase of reclaiming the space down under is getting rid of the stuff that's accumulated there over the years. Once that's done, the next challenge is dealing with the Lally columns or structural vertical support poles that cannot be removed. We found a pole wrap made of a flexible half-inch wood veneer that looks good when finished with a wood stain. The coverup goes a long way to transforming the lower level to attractive living space.

The pole wrap has a flexible backing and comes in 8-foot lengths with three different widths, so it fits most support columns. The material is installed with construction adhesive and has a cap and base set to finish off the top and bottom of the pole.

To cover two 4-inch diameter support columns with caps and bases, a contractor will charge $470, which includes the labor and material. You can buy the material for $335 and do it yourself and pocket a 28 percent saving. To cut the material to length you'll need a fine tooth saw, miter box and utility knife. You'll need finishing nails to add the caps and bases to the poles. For more information go to www.polewrap.com.

The average price to cover basement columns noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself. Tweak the data by adding your ZIP Code to find a local cost.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors'
experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content
Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.